St Serf's Church

St Serf’s Church stands in the quiet Perthshire village of Dunning. A Category A listed building, it mixes early 19th-century remodelling with a sturdy 12th-century tower. The churchyard holds early gravestones dated 1623 and 1624. Inside, a forestair leads to the east gallery entrance marked 1687. Alexander Bowie oversaw the major changes between 1808 and 1810. Stained-glass windows by Ballantine and Son and Ballantine and Gardiner were added between 1899 and 1910. The church’s history is long and layered. It served the parish until 1972 before Historic Scotland took it into care. The 9th-century Dupplin Cross now stands inside after being moved in 2002 following public protest. The building also appeared in the 2000 film Complicity. Visitors find a calm interior with the tower’s thick walls and the forestair’s worn stone steps. The east gallery entrance shows its 1687 lintel date. The stained glass throws coloured light across the nave. The Dupplin Cross, carved in the 9th century, stands near the font. Outside, the churchyard’s early stones add quiet reminders of past lives.